


Fighting Complete Strangers

by flyingcrane



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Arcobaleno Arc, Chapter 360, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Mentions of Violence, Representative Battler Arc, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 01:37:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingcrane/pseuds/flyingcrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsuna wondered why he kept thinking about his father and their fight – then he realized why it felt like every other time a new opponent came along. Set after Chapter 360.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fighting Complete Strangers

* * *

Tsuna sighed tiredly as the teachers voice droned on, wincing from the throbbing on his cheek – the place where his father had punched him once and knocked him out cold.

The fight – if it could be called that – had been running through Tsuna's mind ever since he woke up.

It was just so completely unexpected that, even now, he was questioning the whole thing, wondering if it had been some crazy dream and hoping the soreness of his cheek was just another testament to Reborn's violent wake-up calls.

If he were honest with himself, Tsuna would admit that he'd been  _extremely_  surprised and severely startled when Iemitsu ignited his own Dying Will Flame, and maybe a little naive. There was some anger there, too. However, there wasn't much else after that since he was taking a forced nap.

At first, Tsuna couldn't help but taste bitterness at his humiliating defeat. Getting beaten by his drunk of a father  _after_  saving the future from an omnipotent god that controlled parallel worlds as well as the vengeful spirit of one of Vongola Primo's original guardians did not make him feel all that great. To add insult to injury, the man  _sought him out_  and  _challenged him_  in  _his_ hometown,  _in_   _his_   _school_. His defeat made him feel more worthless than his nickname, Dame-Tsuna.

At the same time, his chest fluttered with a bit of pride – that was his  _father._  It was such a strange mix of mortification, annoyance, relief, frustration, disgrace, and lingering shock that Tsuna's head was starting to hurt.

It was one thing to fight a father that had never shown any combat ability or even seemed serious about any situation…it was entirely different when said father became the biggest threat in the competition. Tsuna wasn't sure who he was angrier with, himself or Iemitsu.

How could he have not seen it? Where else could he have gotten his power? Certainly not from Nana, no matter how strong emotionally she was – though it did leave an interesting mental picture of his mother with the same fierce flame on her forehead…wielding a frying pan. Tsuna shook the mental picture from his head.

In hindsight, the brunette couldn't help but feel a little stupid – and really bad for losing the first battle on Reborn's behalf.

Iemitsu was head of an organization that worked on equal level with Vongola and Tsuna had seen how powerful their members were. Even the blond was a completely different person at home – a goofy, carefree drunk that slept and ate like no tomorrow – he must've had  _some_ power and authority to be Lal Mirch and Colonello's boss, and Tsuna saw firsthand just how strong his father was. Now he sort of understood why Basil had regarded the man with such veneration even if the brunette wasn't feeling all that respectful right now.

Not only that but...while Tsuna was the heir of Vongola because of his blood ties to Vongola Primo, it never occurred to him that that powerful bloodline ran through his father as well, that their ancestors blood flowed in both their veins. The idea seemed so foreign and farfetched – like a timid, no-good middle school boy becoming the tenth boss of a huge, powerful mafia family – but it brought up a billion questions with each connection he made about the man. Why wasn't  _he_  the heir? What reason did Iemitsu have to become an  _external adviser_  while he had the opportunity and ability to lead the Vongola family? Despite his own experiences with his absent father, he now knew that Iemitsu was capable, loyal,  _strong_ , and a true leader while Tsuna…wasn't.

What was he thinking about again? All these conflicting emotions about his absent father were really starting to get to him and with the way the teacher was watching him warily with a mix of concern and apprehension, it must've shown on his face. He turned his eyes outside, idly roaming the landscape with a bit of curiosity – where was the crater Iemitsu had made when he sent Tsuna flying?

His mind drifted, remembering his battle with Mukuro and discovering Hyper Dying Will Mod, competing against the Varia for the Vongola rings, the horrible future where he had to fight for everyone's lives and future, battling the Shimon family and then Daemon Spade…now this. For some reason, his thoughts always brought him back to his battle with his father. Deep down, he knew something had changed when those words were exchanged; something had broken when each punch was thrown.

Despite his father's surprising strength, despite his own immense shock, despite his questions, despite  _everything_  about that particular battle, Tsuna knew there was another reason he didn't win, didn't  _want_ to win.

" _Come at me with all of your resentment for your father. I'll take it all."_

How could he fight with something that died a long time ago?

That one comment made Tsuna angrier and sadder than he'd felt in…a long time, maybe since the day he found his mother crying alone at night in her room, or when Iemitsu came back from a particularly long absence in his childhood with a carefree smile. It only proved that the blond didn't know his son very well. To add insult to injury, the man had the  _gall_  to say he knew the brunette because "You were born to me and your beloved mother." What the hell kind of excuse was that?

_I don't fight to hurt others…I fight to protect my friends._  Tsuna thought in a mix of disappointment and frustration. It wasn't a hard concept to grasp, even for him. Reborn didn't even have to point it out; it had always been there, like an instinct that screamed louder than the rest to keep those precious to him safe.

In a way, neither of them won that fight – a battle that had more to gain and lose than either realized until it was too late when words were thrown and fists were flying. Neither of them were the victor, and not because they were still part of the representative battles, but because neither saw how fractured their relationship was until it shattered. Iemitsu could brag and rave about his 'adorable, kawaii little boy' and Tsuna could complain about his 'lazy, good-for-nothing father' but both knew that those were just airs. There was nothing there.

Tsuna understood why fighting his father was like every other hard fight he'd ever had up until that point. It was because everyone he'd fought was new, an unknown person that was an obstacle or a threat, not always bad but not always good. Somehow, Tsuna knew, that this fight wouldn't be the last and it'd end up the same as any other. It always started the same because, in every situation –

– he was fighting a complete stranger.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave comment or kudos if you liked it! Thanks!


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